Wolves More Cautious After Culling?

Published onsdag 20 januari 2010 kl 10.31

Swedish hunters say they notice that after the controversial culling of 27 wolves from the 200 in this Nordic nation has made the surviving animals more cautious - but wildlife experts claim that there is no biological evidence for this and that too little research is being done with wolves.

Some conclude that the hunting may have long-term effects - eliminating the less cautious animals from the genetic make-up.

Autopsies of the dead wolves rejected one argument s favoring the hunt - concluding that the animals did not have any major genetic defects caused by inbreeding.

Some claimed the culling was really an excuse to calm sheep farmers and reindeer-raisers who blame the wolves for attacking their herds.

Sharp criticism both in Sweden and abroad denounced the hunt, arguing that other European countries have more wolves that the sparsely-populated, forest-covered Sweden.